Superman & the Jewish Mission

We all want to live in a world where goodness triumphs over evil.

Once I met him, I knew I wanted to be like him. Who wouldn’t want to fly, bend steel in your bare hands and “fight for truth, justice and the American way”? (Are we still allowed to call it “The American way”?) Every embodiment of Superman was one of greatness, sacrifice and heroism combined with a sense of humility and purpose of being.

I loved reading the adventures of Superman at the cottage on summer days as he battled Lex Luthor, Brainiac and a host of other villains “whose every impulse of the heart was only evil all day long.” To this day my comic collection of close to 700 titles, primarily from the 60’s and 70’s (the so-called Silver Age of comics), sit patiently in plastic bags and boxes waiting for a new generation of youngsters to move from their smart phones and ipads and appreciate their beauty and message. (Alas, it may be a long wait.)

It is well documented that Superman’s creators – two Jewish lads from Cleveland, one originally from my hometown Toronto and who patterned the Daily Planet after the Toronto Star – took many cues from our Torah to create the story. The similarities between Superman’s origins, being sent as a baby in a rocket ship from his world of Krypton before it would be destroyed, parallels the story of Moses being sent down the Nile in a basket for his own protection as his world was falling apart from the slavery and the infanticide around him. Superman’s original name is Kal-El – bearing the Hebrew name of God, El, and perhaps even invoking God’s voice since the Hebrew word for voice is Kol. Hence Kal-El means God’s voice – which is indeed what Moshe became as God’s prophet, lawgiver and voice of truth justice and goodness.

The meaning behind Superman is one that so resonates in a Jewish soul because the message and mission is so similar to that of Judaism’s. As father, Jor-El (Russell Crowe) tells his son in the movie:

"You will give the people of earth an ideal to strive towards.
They will race behind you, they will stumble they will fall.
But in time they will join you in the sun.
In time, you will help them accomplish wonders."

Is there anything more Jewish than the outsider, the alien, the one who does not fit in with the rest, the “nation that dwells alone” coming to earth and doing everything in its power to perfect that world and make it a better place? Judaism’s hallmark is to be an Ohr LaGoyim – a Light unto Nations – to be an example nation that strives to teach mankind of the grace, beauty and holiness inherent in truth and justice. And while we still have a lot of work to do, the Torah has indeed taught much of mankind basic ideals such as liberty and freedom for all, do not murder, do not steal, take care of the orphan, widow and the less fortunate, might does not make right, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” “Justice, justice you shall pursue,” universal education and a host of other notions that our world still grapples to learn and live by.

And just as Superman must engage in force at times, its sole purpose is only to defeat evil so that there can ultimately be peace on earth, the same way the Jewish people only wish to take up arms as a last resort to restore a peaceful equilibrium.

Rabbi Noah Weinberg zt”l, the Rosh Yeshiva and founder of Aish HaTorah, used to often say that deep down every person wants to be the Messiah. Every person has a secret, innate desire and sense of responsibility to not only just make the world a better place, but to do everything in our power to make it whole and perfect. It was this self-same desire that two young Jewish men, living in an age when the evils of Nazism began to take hold and threaten the world, it was this deep Jewish stirring that gave birth and rise to Superman.

Superman has become an icon for generations because its message, rooted in Jewish aspirations and ideals, is such a basic and universal one: We do want to live in a world of goodness, truth, fair-play, and one where - despite the trials and tribulations and times when we seemingly are on the brink of destruction - Good triumphs over Evil.

All we have to do is understand our mission and remain dedicated to it every day with the same passion and consistency that Siegel and Shuster did when they created their hero.

"I have to believe you were sent here for a reason
And even if it takes the rest of your life,
You owe it to yourself to find out what that reason is.”

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About the Author

Rabbi Tzvi Nightingale is Director of Aish South Florida. Tzvi grew up in Toronto, Canada, home of the perennially losing Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey team. He attended Aish Jerusalem in the summer of 1979, determined to gain access to great Jewish works and thinkers such as the Talmud and Maimonides. Little did he know that it would take far longer than two months; he ended up staying in Israel for nine years. He received rabbinic ordination in 1985 and met his wife Karen, who grew up in London and is the great-granddaughter of the former chief rabbi of Meshed, Iran. As can only happen in Israel, Canadian-Polish-Jewish became intertwined with British-Israeli-Persian. Rabbi Nightingale has been involved in Aish South Florida since 1989 and has been Executive Director since 1993. During that time he has met over 20,000 people who have attended Aish programs, but he does not remember all of their names. In the meantime, watching his beloved Maple Leafs not win a championship since 1967 has taught Rabbi Nightingale the importance of patiently waiting for the arrival of Moshiach.

Visitor Comments: 9

As my brother, z"l, was fond of pointing out, "Kal-El" (or as the creators originally spelled it, Kal-L) was said to mean in Kryptonian "son of a star",i.e, Bar Kochba

(5)
abey,
June 18, 2013 3:27 PM

How can that be done when good is called evil & evil good today, the fruit of indulging in the very same tree.

(4)
Yehudith Shraga,
June 16, 2013 11:14 PM

"An" Ideal is no good for anybody and especially for Jews.

The article has a lot of interesting observations and thoughts,BUT they are all secondary to the main idea,the article promote,which looks very non-Jewish in its origin "You will give the people of earth an ideal to strive towards".According to the Sages of Kabbalah THE Ideal,people are coming to this earth to strive towards,is encoded in their souls,and so there is no need for anybody to give anything to anybody,if everybody already have it.Moshe didn't give anything to anybody,he was sent by G-d to speak to the people of Israel,which means saying ALOUD, what everybody felt insight,but couldn't find the right form to put in words and correlated corporeal equivalents to the spiritual law system, to share the ideal of their hearts with others.The Creator's instructions and spiritual models of behavior, passed through Moshe,could find their way to the hearts of people only because these instructions were originally imprinted in their souls.One of the spiritual laws states, that the person may not wish anything he has no idea about. We may desire and strive only for the things we experienced or come to know on any level of our existence, be it spiritual or material.The ideal we come to this world with is similar for all the people, It vibrates in Jewish hearts, It finds Its way to the hearts of the people of other nations being pronounced by the Jews, and that is why Judaism doesn't impose itself on others, it just share THE Ideal through the Word of the Sages.Judaism doesn't have an ideal, we have THE ideal, which is the ability of the creation to become co-Creator with the G-d.The story of Superman is a myth,Judaism is the practical instruction on the way a person should undergo to become the Creator's Partner, this is what the Judaism is about, and if somebody thinks different, he /she is still afraid to say aloud the deepest desires of their hearts and souls which will never allow them to settle for less, than that High.

(3)
Evan,
June 16, 2013 11:08 PM

The elephant in the article.

C'mon.... is anyone else gonna admit it? Jor-EL... sends his only begotten son to earth, who at 33 becomes super and saves mankind???

Andy,
July 9, 2013 7:54 PM

You're referring to...?

And how do we know that the person you're referring to was Jewish? Simple. He went into his father's business, he lived at home until he was 30, and his mother thought he was G-d.

(2)
Irene,
June 16, 2013 6:09 PM

This was an interesting article. Never thought of superman in that way. Sometimes we wonder where we get out ideas. So glad El gave us thoughts to ponder.

Dina,
June 17, 2013 9:22 AM

"El"

Maybe it comes from El Al ? Alas ! We will never know ( or no) . But we can go flying upward on the wings of Superman. Ah, but I just remembered, it's not a plane, not a bird, it's.......

(1)
ruth housman,
June 16, 2013 5:47 PM

every man and every woman wants to be the Messiah

it could be, the truth of ONE is in this statement, because it could be, we're all here, co-creating the universe, and Messiah means merely, messenger, clean up, in my view, the "mess", and exhibit some awe for all Creation in so doing. It feels like a deeper truth, this truth about ONE, about the many, actually being one soul, and yet, diverse, and the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. I love what you wrote about the origins of Superman, and about the name, because I am so totally keyed to names, and I am taking a profound walk across Babel. It could be, after thousands of emails, no one is reading Ruth, but it could also be, it's all coming from the same Source that powers us all. We all filter the light, and we need each other, and as challah is a gold braid so it is what we have, a weave, meaning the loom of language deeply contains the secrets to the entire, greater story, a story only a Divine Intelligence, God, could have written. There is a play, Lies My Father Taught Me. The young boy, asks Theodore Bikel, who played the part his Zaydie, could anyone be, the Messiah. And the answer is YES, of course. Even me? asks the child. Yes, even you. And that of course, could and should refer as deeply to women as to men. And so, we save and continue to be, saviors for each other, and to savor this, the act, this thing called healing the broken places, is to be, The Messiah.

Malka Sara Levine,
June 17, 2013 6:06 AM

Ruth, someone just read your comments !

Just read 2 if your comments, found them intriguing and coming from eyes that are alive, making connections and discoverings. Such Torah is precious. Thank you.

I just got married and have an important question: Can we eat rice on Passover? My wife grew up eating it, and I did not. Is this just a matter of family tradition?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

The Torah instructs a Jew not to eat (or even possess) chametz all seven days of Passover (Exodus 13:3). "Chametz" is defined as any of the five grains (wheat, spelt, barley, oats, and rye) that came into contact with water for more than 18 minutes. Chametz is a serious Torah prohibition, and for that reason we take extra protective measures on Passover to prevent any mistakes.

Hence the category of food called "kitniyot" (sometimes referred to generically as "legumes"). This includes rice, corn, soy beans, string beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, mustard, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Even though kitniyot cannot technically become chametz, Ashkenazi Jews do not eat them on Passover. Why?

Products of kitniyot often appear like chametz products. For example, it can be hard to distinguish between rice flour (kitniyot) and wheat flour (chametz). Also, chametz grains may become inadvertently mixed together with kitniyot. Therefore, to prevent confusion, all kitniyot were prohibited.

In Jewish law, there is one important distinction between chametz and kitniyot. During Passover, it is forbidden to even have chametz in one's possession (hence the custom of "selling chametz"). Whereas it is permitted to own kitniyot during Passover and even to use it - not for eating - but for things like baby powder which contains cornstarch. Similarly, someone who is sick is allowed to take medicine containing kitniyot.

What about derivatives of kitniyot - e.g. corn oil, peanut oil, etc? This is a difference of opinion. Many will use kitniyot-based oils on Passover, while others are strict and only use olive or walnut oil.

Finally, there is one product called "quinoa" (pronounced "ken-wah" or "kin-o-ah") that is permitted on Passover even for Ashkenazim. Although it resembles a grain, it is technically a grass, and was never included in the prohibition against kitniyot. It is prepared like rice and has a very high protein content. (It's excellent in "cholent" stew!) In the United States and elsewhere, mainstream kosher supervision agencies certify it "Kosher for Passover" -- look for the label.

Interestingly, the Sefardi Jewish community does not have a prohibition against kitniyot. This creates the strange situation, for example, where one family could be eating rice on Passover - when their neighbors will not. So am I going to guess here that you are Ashkenazi and your wife is Sefardi. Am I right?

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Moses ben Nachman (1194-1270), known as Nachmanides, and by the acronym of his name, Ramban. Born in Spain, he was a physician by trade, but was best-known for authoring brilliant commentaries on the Bible, Talmud, and philosophy. In 1263, King James of Spain authorized a disputation (religious debate) between Nachmanides and a Jewish convert to Christianity, Pablo Christiani. Nachmanides reluctantly agreed to take part, only after being assured by the king that he would have full freedom of expression. Nachmanides won the debate, which earned the king's respect and a prize of 300 gold coins. But this incensed the Church: Nachmanides was charged with blasphemy and he was forced to flee Spain. So at age 72, Nachmanides moved to Jerusalem. He was struck by the desolation in the Holy City -- there were so few Jews that he could not even find a minyan to pray. Nachmanides immediately set about rebuilding the Jewish community. The Ramban Synagogue stands today in Jerusalem's Old City, a living testimony to his efforts.

It's easy to be intimidated by mean people. See through their mask. Underneath is an insecure and unhappy person. They are alienated from others because they are alienated from themselves.

Have compassion for them. Not pity, not condemning, not fear, but compassion. Feel for their suffering. Identify with their core humanity. You might be able to influence them for the good. You might not. Either way your compassion frees you from their destructiveness. And if you would like to help them change, compassion gives you a chance to succeed.

It is the nature of a person to be influenced by his fellows and comrades (Rambam, Hil. De'os 6:1).

We can never escape the influence of our environment. Our life-style impacts upon us and, as if by osmosis, penetrates our skin and becomes part of us.

Our environment today is thoroughly computerized. Computer intelligence is no longer a science-fiction fantasy, but an everyday occurrence. Some computers can even carry out complete interviews. The computer asks questions, receives answers, interprets these answers, and uses its newly acquired information to ask new questions.

Still, while computers may be able to think, they cannot feel. The uniqueness of human beings is therefore no longer in their intellect, but in their emotions.

We must be extremely careful not to allow ourselves to become human computers that are devoid of feelings. Our culture is in danger of losing this essential aspect of humanity, remaining only with intellect. Because we communicate so much with unfeeling computers, we are in danger of becoming disconnected from our own feelings and oblivious to the feelings of others.

As we check in at our jobs, and the computer on our desk greets us with, "Good morning, Mr. Smith. Today is Wednesday, and here is the agenda for today," let us remember that this machine may indeed be brilliant, but it cannot laugh or cry. It cannot be happy if we succeed, or sad if we fail.

Today I shall...

try to remain a human being in every way - by keeping in touch with my own feelings and being sensitive to the feelings of others.

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